Dr. Jonny Bowden

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  • Can Diet Sodas Cause Weight Gain?

    Can Diet Sodas Cause Weight Gain?

    San Diego, CA – The perception that diet sodas are a benign alternative to highly sweetened beverages might be dangerously wrong, according to the results of the San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging, which were reported here at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 2011 Scientific Sessions [1].

    Diet soft drinks have long been thought to be a healthier alternative to their sugary counterparts; however, past reports have linked increased incidence of weight gain, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes to the frequent intake of diet soda.

    In the study presented, Sharon P Fowler (University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio) and colleagues examined the effect of the long-term consumption of diet sodas by a population of individuals 65 to 74 years of age (n=474).

    At baseline, measures of height, weight, and waist circumference were recorded, as was diet-soft-drink intake. Three additional exams of the study subjects were conducted over an average follow-up of just over 3.5 years (the study was conducted over a nine-year period).

    When the results of these observations were compared with those from subjects who did not drink diet soda, the differences were striking. Overall, consumers of diet soda drinks experienced a 70% greater increase in waist circumference than nonconsumers. Further, among elderly drinkers of two or more diet soda per day, mean increases in waist circumference were five times greater than those recorded for nonconsumers.

    “These results suggest that—amid the national drive to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks—policies that promote the consumption of diet soft drinks may have unintended deleterious effects,” state the study investigators.

    Dr. Jonny Comments: This is not the first time that diet soda consumption has been linked to weight gain and obesity. A 2005 study found that folks who consumed 1-2 cans a day of diet soda had a 54.5% greater chance of being overweight or obese. That same study found that for each can of diet soda consumed each day a person’s risk of becoming obese went up by 41%.

    So what to make of this?

    One theory is that calorie-free beverages that taste sweet fool the body and somehow upset the appetite control centers in the brain. Another is that the sweet taste may actually produce an insulin response in much the same way as Pavlov’s dogs became conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell. (Insulin, as you know, is the “fat storage” hormone and rises dramatically when sugar is consumed.)

    But a third interpretation is that these studies don’t mean anything. Folks who take this position point out that people who are already overweight tend to consume diet drinks, but that doesn’t mean the diet drinks made them overweight.

    Truth is, we don’t know which- if any- of these hypotheses explains the facts, but the facts remain: For whatever reason, consumption of diet sodas increases your risk of gaining weight.

    And since there’s basically nothing good in diet soda– which is made of chemicals, potentially dangerous artificial sweeteners, and a bunch of artificial coloring and flavoring–  it’s hard to find a good reason to keep on drinking them.

  • Vitamin D and Diabetes: Is There a Link?

    Vitamin D and Diabetes: Is There a Link?

    San Diego, CA – Higher levels of vitamin D in the blood appear to be associated with a reduced risk of incident diabetes among people with high risk for the disease, according to a new report.

    Dr Anastassios G Pittas (Tufts New England Medical Center, Boston, MA), and colleagues presented the findings here at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 2011 Scientific Sessions.

    According to Pittas, vitamin D may have a role in diabetes via improvements in insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity.

    To determine the relationship between vitamin-D status and risk of incident diabetes, the researchers analyzed data from the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a three-arm trial comparing intensive lifestyle modification or metformin vs placebo for prevention of diabetes in patients with prediabetes.

    The mean follow-up of the cohort of 2039 participants was 3.2 years. Plasma vitamin-D levels were measured at yearly intervals, and subjects were assessed for incident diabetes.

    Participants in the upper third of vitamin-D levels had a 26% less chance of developing diabetes compared with participants in the lowest third.

    Interestingly, those in the highest third had an average blood concentration of only 30.1 ng/mL. Though conventional medicine believes that 30 ng/mL is “sufficient”, virtually no serious vitamin D researcher agrees that 30ng/mL is an optimal amount.

    “Much higher levels are better”, said well-known vitamin D expert Michael F. Holick, MD, PhD. “(It was) decided that 30 ng/mL is the minimum level but 40-60 ng/mL is recommended for both children and adults”, he said.

    The findings of this study also suggested a dose-dependent effect for vitamin-D levels. The folks with the highest blood levels of vitamin D levels (>50 ng/mL, which I consider way more optimal than 30 ng/mL), had the very least chance of developing diabetes. Those with the lowest levels (<12 ng/mL) had the greatest risk.

    “This study offers several methodological advantages over previous studies,” said Pittas. According to Pittas, vitamin-D status was assessed multiple times during follow-up, not just a single assessment at baseline, which may not reflect long-term vitamin-D status.

    “Our study also includes a large clinically relevant population at high risk for diabetes with a substantial proportion of nonwhite participants, which improves the external validity of the results,” he said.

    “This prospective study confirms that there is an association between levels of vitamin D and risk of diabetes even when correcting for body weight” commented Dr Clifford Rosen (Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine).

  • Featured Summer Recipe: Watermelon Salad with Mint Leaves

    Featured Summer Recipe: Watermelon Salad with Mint Leaves

    This fabulous summer recipe comes to us courtesy of my good friends at the National Association of Nutrition Professionals. It’s just too good not to pass on!

    INGREDIENTS:

    • 1 (5-pound) watermelon
    • 1 Vidalia or other sweet onion
    • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
    • Salt and pepper
    • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
    • 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
    • 6 whole mint sprigs

    DIRECTIONS:

    1. Cut the flesh from the melon and cut into bite size pieces, removing and discarding the seeds, and set aside. Peel and slice the onion into rings.
    2. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, salt, pepper, and whisk until salt is dissolved. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, a few drops at a time. Add in the chopped mint, taste, and adjust seasonings.
    3. In a large bowl, combine the melon, onion, and feta. Pour the dressing over the melon mixture and toss gently until everything is coated and evenly mixed. Garnish with mint sprigs.
    4. To serve, divide salad among individual plates and garnish with mint leaves.

  • Salt and the Low Carb Diet

    The following is adapted from the forthcoming book, “The Art and science of Low Carbohydrate Living” by Jeff S. Volek, PhD, RD, and Stephen D. Phinney, MD, PhD

    Whole books have been written about the history of salt. Wars were fought over access to salt. Roman soldiers were often paid with a measure of salt, hence the origin of the English word “salary”. Hunters and their prey, herders and their cattle, all shaped their actions and habits around access to salt.

    The reason, of course, is that salt (sodium) is necessary for life.

    Humans did not need to know chemistry to understand the value of salt. Salt deprivation leads to lightheadedness, fatigue, headache, and malaise. Aboriginal cultures could figure out that if they drank from one spring they began to feel lousy, but if they drank from that other one, they’d feel OK. The Inuit knew which ice to melt for water to boil their meat. Sea ice loses its salt content with age. Fresh ice had too much salt, fresh snow had none, whereas older seas ice was just right.

    Today we “know” that too much salt is bad for us, so why this long discussion of a discredited nutrient?

    The short answer is that the amount of carbohydrate in our diet changes our need for salt.

    High carbohydrate diets make the kidneys retain salt, whereas a low carbohydrate intake increases sodium excretion by the kidney. Hunting cultures seemed to understand this, and thus their highly evolved practices of finding sodium and consuming enough of it to maintain health and well-being.

    The body’s metabolism of salt is uniquely different when one is adapted to a low carbohydrate diet.

    Salt and water are more efficiently excreted, which is a good thing as long as you maintain an adequate minimum sodium intake.

    Ignore this lesson and you are likely to suffer the completely avoidable problems of headache, fatigue, weakness and constipation—maladies that any Inuit healer would have promptly resolved by giving you a bowl of blood soup, or meat broth made with sea ice of the proper age.

  • The Blood Sugar Factor: Glycemic Index vs Glycemic Load

    The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly and how high your blood sugar rises after eating food.

    But it’s not nearly as important as a less famous measure called the glycemic load. And the glycemic load is something worth knowing about.

    When you eat any food- especially carbohydrate and to some extent protein- your blood sugar goes up. (It hardly goes up at all when you eat fat.) In response to the rise in blood sugar, your pancreas secretes insulin, whose job is to act as a traffic cop and escort the excess sugar out of the bloodstream and into the cells where- in an ideal world- it can be used for fuel. Blood sugar (and insulin) both gradually go back down to pre-eating levels, and in a few hours you repeat the whole process.

    Problem is, this is anything but a perfect world.

    We overeat high sugar carbohydrates, which quickly drives our blood sugar up into the stratosphere. The pancreas sends out a ton of insulin in an attempt to lower blood sugar, but most of us are pretty sedentary, so our muscle cells aren’t interested in taking it in. Insulin knocks on the doors of the muscle cell walls and the cells say, “sorry dude, we don’t need any sugar, our guy’s going to be sitting at the computer all day, go somewhere else”. (Sugar winds up going to the fat cells, which are far more welcoming.) Meanwhile both blood sugar and insulin have been raised, setting you up for hypertension, fat storage, hunger, cravings and mood crashes when your sugar eventually does fall.

    Not a great situation by any means.

    To measure the effect of food on blood sugar, scientists came up with the idea of the glycemic index. Using pure glucose as a standard (with an index of 100), they tested 50 gram portions of digestible carbohydrate and measured how quickly and how high blood sugar rose in reaction to eating them. By eating low-glycemic index foods you presumably could avoid the blood sugar roller coaster.

    But there are two big problems with using the glycemic index as a guide to eating.

    One, it only applies to a food eaten alone- in other words, a banana, not a banana with peanut butter.

    Two, and more important- the glycemic index doesn’t take into account portion size.

    The glycemic index of 50 grams of spaghetti is “moderate”, but no one eats 50 grams of spaghetti- at least they don’t at the Olive Garden, or at any home cooked Italian meal I’ve ever seen!

    And the glycemic index of 50 grams of carrots is “high” but no one eats 50 grams of carrots (there’s 3 grams of carbohydrate in a carrot).

    Glycemic load takes into account portion size. Carrots- which have a high glycemic index- actually have a very low glycemic load. Spaghetti- which has a moderate index- has a very high glycemic load.

    Glycemic load is all you need to pay attention to, because it tells you what’s going to happen to your blood sugar in the real world. (Even then, it still refers to food eaten alone. Add some fat to your carbs– peanut butter on an apple, for example– and you’ve just lowered the glycemic load.)

    Glycemic index is a pretty useless indicator of anything, but glycemic load is meaningful. (You can find a definitive of glycemic index and glycemic load of food here.) Bottom line: eat as little sugar as possible and go easy on the foods that turn into sugar quickly- like cereals, breads, pastas and anything white (except chicken, cauliflower and mushrooms!)

    When it comes to sugar one thing is very clear: Less is more and zero is better.

  • More Big Brother Tactics from the FDA

    More Big Brother Tactics from the FDA

    The following editorial appeared in the Townsend Newsletter for Doctors and Patients and was written by my good friend, nutritional medicine guru Alan Gaby, MD

    The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a long history of causing needless human suffering by restricting the availability of safe and effective natural remedies. Now they have outdone even themselves, with a burst of idiocy and totalitarianism that should lead any thinking person to question their legitimacy as a governing agency.

    On December 28, 2010, the FDA demanded an immediate cessation of the manufacturing and distribution of three nutritional products designed for (intravenous) administration: Vitamin C, magnesium and vitamin B complex.

    Although all of these products have been in wide use for decades, and have long been granted “grandfather” status, the FDA has now inexplicably reclassified them as “unapproved new drugs”.

    High-dose intravenous vitamin C has been found by many practitioners to be effective in the treatment of acute viral hepatitis, infectious mononucleosis, other viral diseases, some bacterial infections, and various allergic disorders. Case reports suggest that high-dose intravenous vitamin C can prolong life and occasionally even induce remission in cancer patients. In addition, high-dose intravenous vitamin C may accelerate recovery in patients with extensive burns.

    Intravenous magnesium has been demonstrated in research studies to abort acute asthma attacks and acute migranes. Intravenous magnesium has been used successfully by some practitioners to treat angina and congestive heart failure.

    All three of the newly banned injectable products are components of the “Myers cocktail” which has been used safely and effectively by hundreds or even thousands of practitioners for a wide range of clinical conditions. Disorders that have been observed to respond to the Myers cocktail include chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, acute asthma attacks, acute migranines, muscle spasm, seasonal allergic rhinitis, upper respiratory tract infections and some cases of depression.

    When used appropriately, all of these banned products are extremely safe, much safer than many drugs that have been approved by the FDA to treat the same conditions that respond to the banned injectable nutrients!

    Many people will be harmed, and some will die, as a result of this egregious FDA ruling.

    And no one will benefit. That is, no one except the pharmaceutical industry, with which the FDA has been engaged in a longstanding clandestine sexual relationship.

    Congress should launch an immediate investigation of this incompetent and high-handed action by the FDA< and it should strip the agency of its authority to play Big Brother over grandfather.

    The president should “pardon” the condemned vitamins and minerals. All who work at the FDA should hang their heads in shame, because government agencies should serve, not injure, their constitutents.

    And those at the FDA should pray that they and their loved ones do not develop chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, asthma, migraines, or any of the other conditions that respond so well to the treatments they have taken from us.

    –Alan R. Gaby, MD

    Dr. Jonny Comments: Though many readers of this newsletter have probably not have experience with the injectable forms of these vitamins (I have- for years), don’t think you’re not affected. The FDA consistently engages in this kind of BS, arbitrarily pouncing on supplement companies and practitioners of natural medicine, usually at the urging of their pals in Big Pharma. These practices have been detailed in book after book and paper after paper. The FDA is not there to protect your health- it’s there to protect the interests of Big Pharma. Make no mistake about it. Today it’s injectable vitamin C , but tomorrow it could be your vitamin C pill!

  • Green Tea Supplements, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity

    Green Tea Supplements, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity

    Researchers from Oklahoma State University sought to shed light on the relationship between green tea supplementation and various risk factors for obese subjects. And what they found was interesting indeed.

    In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, the researchers randomly assigned 35 subjects with obesity and metabolic syndrome to one of one of three conditions.

    1. The control group got a daily drink of 4 cups of water.
    2. The second group got 4 cups of green tea.
    3. The third got 2 caps a day of green tea extract supplements of the active ingredient in the beverage (known as EGCG or eppigallocatechin-3-galate) plus 4 cups of water.

    Both the tea-only and the EGCG-supplement plus water group received the identical amount of EGCG per day, whether it came from the tea or the water.

    The researchers found both the group getting the green tea beverage and the group getting the green tea extracts (ECGC supplements) experienced a significant decrease in body weight and in BMI (Body Mass Index). (The controls saw no such decrease.)

    This is hardly the first time green tea or green tea supplements have been shown to have an effect on risk factors, nor is it the first time they’ve been shown to have an effect on fat loss and body weight.

    A 2003 study found that a blend of tea polyphenols derived from green tea improved both lipid (fat) and glucose (sugar) metabolism in an animal study. The tea supplement also enhanced insulin sensitivity, and balanced the metabolic rate of fat burning with the metabolic rate of fat deposit (meaning nothing extra stored as fat!)

    The late great nutritionist, Shari Lieberman, PhD, CNS wrote that green tea stimulates the metabolism of brown fat to a far greater degree than a comparable amount of caffeine alone. “It appears that substances known as catechin-polyphenlols, in particular one called epigallocatechin gallate (ECGC), stimulates the production of noradrenaline, which in turns revs up your metabolism”, Dr. Shari says. “Studies have shown that using green tea even without restricting food (dieting) causes weight loss- using it with a weight-loss eating plan should give you excellent results”(1)

    As an added benefit, a 2010 study showed that the healthful substances in green tea- renown for their powerful antioxidant and disease-fighting properties- actually penetrate the tissues of the eye. Apparently many of the green tea “catechins” are loaded with antioxidants that can protect the eyes. This includes the new superstars of eye nutrition the carotenoids lutein and zeaxnthin, not to mention vitamin C and vitamin E. “Our results indicate that green tea consumption could benefit the eye against oxidative stress”, the researchers conclude.

    This is the Green Tea Extract that I take every day.

    My favorite green tea supplement is the high quality EGCG green tea extract by Designs for Health »

    Save big when you buy 3 bottles of green tea extract »

    I also recommend drinking tea regularly throughout the day.

    1) Lieberman, S. and Bruning, “Dare to loose”, (Avery/ Penguin, 2002)

     

  • Natural Weight Loss

    When I was a kid, my father used to tell me how easy it was to stop smoking.

    “Nothing to it”, he’d scoff, “I’ve done it at least a dozen times”.

    Which reminds me of weight loss.

    Most people have had the experience of losing the same ten pounds (or more) as often as my father quit smoking. Keeping it off- that’s the trick.

    But it’s not nearly as hard a trick as you might think.

    In fact, half the members of the National Weight Control Registry– a database of about 5,000 people who’ve successfully lost a lot of weight and kept it off for years- report that maintaining weight is actually easier than losing it. (Most of the rest say the two tasks are about equal.)

    The key to losing weight naturally is to make a few adjustments in the way you think about it.

    Most weight loss goals aren’t unrealistic- the timetables are. If you adjust your timetable, the whole task looks a lot more doable. Remember, becoming a millionaire is a doable goal- roughly 2.6 million people in the US alone have done it. But becoming a millionaire overnight almost never happens, despite what late night infomercials would have you believe. Forget looking great in a bikini by Friday and start thinking about next summer. When you adjust your time frame and your task becomes less overwhelming.

    By far the biggest obstacle to weight loss is hunger, cravings and temptations. But even these are easier to beat than you might think. It all comes down to food selection. Processed carbs- including most cereals, pastas and breads, not to mention sugar-laden desserts- create their own cravings. That’s because they raise blood sugar quickly causing the body to release a surge of the “fat storing” hormone insulin.

    High levels of insulin make fat burning a virtual impossibility. Not for nothing do they call insulin “the hunger hormone”. High blood sugar and high levels of insulin put you on what I like to call “the craving express”. It’s a blood sugar roller coaster that never ends well.

    The secret to getting off that roller coaster is to choose foods that create healthy satiety- a feeling of fullness and satisfaction that lasts a long time. This means protein, fat and fiber. There’s no need to fear fat- it actually makes you full! Sugar, on the other hand, makes you overeat. Stock up on every vegetable under the sun, coat with some nice butter or olive oil, and top off with a side of protein. It’s a perfect, blood-sugar controlling meal, and it will keep you from digging into the Haagen Daaz.

    Some favorite “satiety” foods and snacks include:

    • Grass fed beef
    • String cheese and apples
    • Celery and almond butter
    • Tomato and buffalo cheese (with a splash of extra virgin olive oil)
    • Avocado
    • Spinach
    • Almonds
    • Pumpkin

    A key to eating less and feeling satisfied longer is to start eating beans on a regular basis. I find this to be the best weight loss secret in the world, and I frequently start the day with eggs and a homemade dish of kidney beans (right from the can) mixed with some cut up vegetables and stir-fried in butter or Barlean’s coconut oil. It’s a bonanza from an energy and blood sugar point of view, and you’ll hardly ever find yourself overeating at lunch.

    While no supplements (or drugs, for that matter) will cause fat to fall off your hips, certain supplements may support your metabolism in ways that will make it easier to lose fat if you’re also eating right.

    One of them is chromium, which helps our friend insulin do it’s job better and may help control blood sugar.

    Another is green tea extract (also known as EGCG) which has a mild but noticeable effect on metabolism. And fish oil is always a good idea, not only for it’s myriad of health benefits, but because it helps reduce inflammation which can be a big obstacle to losing weight.

    Finally, fiber supplements like psyillium husks help keep blood sugar on an even keel, keeping cravings at bay. Even better, sprinkle a product like Barlean’s Forti-Flax on smoothies and salads- you’ll get not only the fiber, but also the healthful plant lignans found in the flax.

    The key to natural weight loss is to eat real food. Food your grandmother would have recognized as real. Food without a barcode. Food as close as possible to that which- thousands of years ago- you could have hunted, fished for, gathered or plucked.

    Relax, go slow, and turn off the informercials. Cut the white stuff out, take good supplements and move around a lot. And check out our Summer Diet Boot Camp Challenge.

    It’s a great way to begin the summer, and best of all, it’s a plan you can actually stick with.

  • Whey Protein and Muscles

    Whey Protein and Muscles

    A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrates that whey protein is significantly effective in producing muscle gain, at least in older men.

    For years, bodybuilders, fitness buffs and people just generally into healthy living have debated the relative merits of different types of protein powder.

    For the average person, choosing a protein powder can be confusing. There’s rice protein, casein (milk protein), whey protein and soy protein, just for starters. Some are digested more slowly, some are available to the body much more quickly (whey, for example).

    But studies testing one against the other for muscle growth are few and far between.

    In the current study, 48 older men were assigned to ingest 20g (one typical serving) of either whey, casein, or casein hydrolysate (a faster acting form of casein). The researchers then used a number of sophisticated measurements to asses both digestion and absorption; they also calculated how effectively new muscle was created.

    The clear winner was whey protein.

    “Whey protein stimulates… muscle protein accretion (growth) more effectively than do casein and casein hydrolysate in older men”, the researchers concluded.

    Scientists believe that a particular amino acid- leucine- may be partly responsible for the positive effect on muscle growth. Leucine has been identified as the main nutritional “signal” responsible for stimulating muscle growth, and whey has a considerably higher leucine content than other protein powders.

    Other studies have demonstrated the positive effects of whey protein powder on both appetite control and on the immune system.

    Though this particular study was done on older men, there’s no reason to assume that the positive effect on muscle growth would not apply to other populations as well, such as women and younger men.

  • How to Make Yourself Sick (in 7 easy steps)

    How to Make Yourself Sick (Slowly But Surely)

    The following is adapted from an article by one of my favorite healers, Dr. David Williams. Dr. Williams’ print newsletter, Alternatives, is highly recommended.

    If you want to clog your arteries with plaque, forget the cholesterol in your diet.

    It won’t make any difference.

    Here’s the quick and easy way to achieve that heart attack or stroke:

    1. Have at least one can of soda or fruit juice every day. One will do the job, but more is better. If it’s sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, it’s even more effective.
    2. Eat lots of grains, particularly wheat products such as “heart healthy” cereals every morning like they advertise on television.
    3. Eat a really low-fat diet. Eat the no-fat and low-fat foods that are high in carbohydrates instead.
    4. Don’t support your thyroid with iodine or supplements.
    5. Take only the recommended dosage of Vitamin D, 600 IU daily.
    6. Park yourself in front of the television instead of exercising.
    7. Don’t take a multi-vitamin/ mineral supplement.

    (You can use these exact same recommendations to develop diabetes. And simply by taking diuretic or beta-blocker drug for your blood pressure, you can improve your odds of developing diabetes by a whopping 30%!)

    Carbohydrates are the key factor associated with cardiovascular disease (and diabetes)—not cholesterol, and not fat! If you understand this and take the appropriate action, you can avoid the number-one killer in this country.

    Excess carbohydrates are converted into triglycerides by the liver. Triglycerides don’t directly cause heart disease, but are a component in the creation of LDL cholesterol and VLDL cholesterol. Triglycerides also disrupt the structure and reduce the level of HDL, or beneficial form of cholesterol.

    The quickest way to lower your triglycerides and your risk of cardiovascular disease is to decrease your carb intake, eliminate high-fructose corn syrup, cut out wheat from your diet, and start taking high doses of fish oil.

    In this case it can take 5-6 grams of DHA/ EPA a day, so if your fish oil productgives you 750mg, you would need to take seven or eight a day. (It’s a good thing even a high-quality fish oil is relatively inexpensive.) You may already be getting some DHA and EPA from your multivitamin, and, of course if you’re consuming chia orflaxseed regularly that will reduce your need for additional fish oil capsules.

    Dr. Jonny comments: I love this article because Dr. Williams really nails the real cause of obesity and diabetes—diets high in processed carbs and sugar. I also love that he takes a swipe at the ridiculously conservative recommendation of 600 IU of vitamin D a day (really!) and calls attention to the incredible value of fish oil in an overall program to reduce weight and lower triglycerides.

    And of course I love the fact that Dr. Williams agrees that cholesterol in the diet is virtually meaningless and that carbohydrates are the key factor associated with cardiovascular disease.

    Remember, the Diet Boot Camp program is a controlled carb eating plan that eliminates most of the dietary villains that Dr. Williams talks about. The Summer Diet Boot Camp Challenge begins July 5. To find out more, click here.